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The US claim their military operation to capture Venezuela's president involved many weeks of careful preparation, however when Donald Trump issued the command to commence, the mission dubbed "Absolute Resolve" only lasted about two and a half hours.

The surprise pre-dawn attack this past weekend signified a never-before-seen incident in contemporary international relations and led directly to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro.

Apprehended by soldiers from a top-tier American military force as they tried to flee inside a heavily secured secure chamber, the pair are currently detained in a detention centre within New York City and face drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A Dawn Assault against the Military Complex

With daybreak on Saturday, the extent of the armed intervention in Caracas, the nation's primary city, was clear.

Photographs from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where top government officials live, depict bombed out structures as well as charred, smouldering cars.

It was at this base where the president and first lady were captured, a senior political figure a party official reported.

Hours Before - The President Gives the Command

The mission commenced amid reports of blasts around 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

American forces disabled electricity across the capital, Trump has since said, calling it "dark and deadly".

The goal was to disable the nation's air defense systems and clear the path for US military helicopters to get to Fuerte Tiuna.

"We assessed that we had maintained totally the advantage of surprise," a senior military officer remarked.

Strike locations included the compound, a maritime facility and an airport. Images show Fuerte Tiuna engulfed in flames, with huge flames seen for miles.

Venezuelans reported how US military helicopters flew low over Caracas, en route to the military base.

A number of the aircraft came under fire, however managed to continue flying, military leaders said.

There was significant gunfire," Trump noted.

A Rapid Ground Assault

Once on the ground, forces from the US Army's Delta Force, acted with speed.

They entered the facility just after 2 AM local time, and the presidential couple surrendered without resistance, as per accounts.

However, more details were provided. They tried to escape into a secure location, referred to as a heavily fortified bunker.

The secure room is all steel, and he wasn't able to make it to the door as our personnel were too quick.

"It was a very thick entryway, a very heavy door," Trump told reporters. "He made it to the door. He could not to close it."

However, even assuming they had managed to enter the bunker, forces could have blown it open in about "under a minute."

From the Capital to Manhattan

Currently under American detention, the couple were moved approximately 2,100 miles, to New York City.

They were taken by air out of Caracas by helicopter, and taken to the USS Iwo Jima, a naval vessel positioned in the Caribbean. The operation was back "over the water" before 4:30 AM.

It was on the ship that an iconic image of the whole operation was captured - the president shackled, with hearing protection and darkened eyewear resembling opaque glasses.

After leaving the ship, he was first flown at the American naval installation at Guantánamo Bay.

The Maduros then traveled on a government plane to a military airfield in New York, and then via helicopter to Manhattan.

Facing The Legal System in American Soil

That same day, footage emerged showing Maduro at the federal drug agency's main office in the city.

He and Cilia Flores are presently being held in a detention centre within the city.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit drug-related terrorism and cocaine trafficking, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and plots to acquire machine guns and bombs to use against America.

"They will soon face the complete force of the US legal system in the United States in American courts," a senior legal official proclaimed.

Video shows Maduro's arrival into American and transport to detention.